Harmony Point Wilderness Lodge: a niche in time.

• Position: Seldovia, Alaska

Growing numbers of travelers are coming to Alaska these days for wilderness adventures -- not the traditional sportsmen's holiday of big game hunting, but close-up "participatory" encounters with the natural environment.

Hidden away in historic Seldovia, at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, lies a pleasant surprise for these new adventure travelers: Harmony Point Wilderness Lodge, a place founded to prove that the real Alaska lies somewhere beyond crowds of people, hyper-pressurized tours and widespread destruction of the wilderness.

To discover the lodge, trek on down to Homer and book a plane, small ferry or charter boat across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia-by-the-Sea (or "the far side," as locals like to call it).

Then, take a taxi or bike from the Seldovia airport or small boat harbor through rolling green meadows to a secluded corner of the countryside. There, surrounded by tall, whispering trees and overlooking an idyllic inlet of Kachemak Bay, lies Harmony Point.

Guests are greeted by smiling proprietor-hosts Tim and Deb Robertson and Tim and Ila Dillon, 30-something post-boomers, who founded the main lodge and nearby comfy cabin in the spring of 1986.

Tim Robertson, a former fisheries biologist, says, "I've had my fill of jobs that involved resource exploitation rather than protection. I knew a change was necessary, and the lodge seemed to be what to do next."

His wife Deb, once employed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, agrees that the best way to achieve her goals of environmental harmony was to operate a wilderness lodge.

Tim Dillon, a former soils scientist for the U.S. Forest Service, gained his wilderness experience from homesteading in Homer. Ila Dillon, still a school teacher in the winter months, brings to the lodge the delicate touch of great home-cooking.

Adding up their diverse experience, the foursome discovered the perfect name for what they wanted to achieve in their new establishment: Harmony Point Wilderness Lodge.

To upgrade the land and buildings, the couples put in months of muscle-building, back-breaking, brow-sweating work. They smoothed out the edges of the main lodge and cabin. They built two more hand-hewn, Sitka spruce mini-lodges to accommodate up to 12 guests at a time. They added a sauna, bought boats and moved in furniture.

Through all their hard work, the...